Fei Pin Ying Qiang Volume 1 Chapter 16

(The t.i.tle should come from "曲水流觞," which means "to drink water from a winding ca.n.a.l with one wine cup floating on it so as to wash away ominousness." It's apparently a traditional custom. The t.i.tle is tweaked and uses "wine" instead of "water." However, the zither of Li Chen is also called "流觞", so honestly I'm not too sure of the t.i.tle.)

Mistress Ji was born from a literary family. In the past, her father was rank one in the imperial exams. Later on, he became the Imperial Censorate Deputy. He was currently the Secretary¹ of Hanlin Academy. Among the literary crowd, he stood clear and bright, a righteous individual. Mistress Wei's husband was the Imperial Academy's Sacrificial Wine Specialist. Her own birth, however, wasn't too n.o.ble. She had married Sacrificial Wine Specialist Wei before he held this t.i.tle. After many years, the two still shared a harmonious marriage. There were no concubines in their household. 

Compared to the countess, the two other mistresses possessed a lower ident.i.ty. In the past, they had no connection. For this reason, they courteously greeted each other. The countess said, "The two of you need not be so polite. Please take a seat."

Mistress Ji smiled. As her gaze fell upon Qi Niqun's abdomen, she said, "Your Highness, the princess consort is a fortunate person. I've talked to my husband and we agree that Darling Ru is unreasonable. We have spoiled her. Thank goodness that Your Highness is genial, that we can be relieved."

Mistress Wei's temperament and demeanor were not as refined as those of Mistress Ji. "Your Highness is a kind mistress of the household."

Qi Niqun had someone bring the two secondary consorts, so that they could meet their mothers. Once Secondary Consort Ji saw her mother, her eyes held back tears. Mistress Ji sighed lightly. She held her daughter's hand without saying a word.

However, Mistress Wei did not seem too close to her daughter. Her expression was awkward and she seemed a little stiff.

Shortly after, Consort Ji and Consort Wei paid respects to Qi Niqun and Countess Ziyang. Then Qi Niqun told them to bring their mothers to her residence. They could chat there until the banquet started.

Consort Ji and Mistress Ji left together. Consort Wei also brought Mistress Wei away. Once they were gone, the countess said, "That Consort Wei's pregnancy…"

"Mother, don't say that I am petty. But I really wish that for the next few years, the secondary and tertiary consorts would all give birth to daughters. I would dote on them. Then once my son is older…"

The countess patted her hand. "You've thought of it well."

It had been a while since Consort Ji and her mother met face-to-face. Tears glistened in their eyes, bright like jewels. However, when Mistress Ji mentioned Ji Huan, her expression immediately changed. Consort Ji coldly said, "Back then, we tried to subdue his drive. So that he could help me. In the end, the prince liked him a lot. From then on, his future will be boundless!"　　

Mistress Ji said, "The one I hate is your father. He actually allowed him to take the imperial exams next year."

"…What about my two younger brothers?"

A sigh escaped Mistress Ji's lips. "Your father graduated from the Academy and your maternal grandfather had been the number one exam taker in his time. Nowadays, he is the Secretary of Hanlin Academy. Why are those two cheap sp.a.w.ns so terrible with their studies?"

To pacify her mother, Consort Ji said, "My younger brothers are still young. They aren't sensible yet."

Mistress Ji sighed. "When Ji Huan was ten years old, he had already been renowned. At fifteen, he took the City Examinations and qualified as a Juren². Your younger brothers couldn't even pa.s.s the Rural Examinations at seventeen and fifteen years old."

"Mother, have you looked for a matchmaker for my younger brothers?" 

"Your father said that men must have their career before marrying. He wants your younger brothers to pa.s.s the exams before bringing home their brides… Also, your father said that Ji Huan must get married first."

All of a sudden, Consort Ji's heart tightened. Did her father only want to invest in Ji Huan?

Consort Wei called Little Qiao to serve her mother tea. She sat at the side and watched.

Consort Wei sat uncomfortably. It wasn't until a while later that she smiled. "Darling Qiang's pregnant figure is not bad."

Consort Wei lightly grunted in acknowledgement. 

Mistress Wei summoned her courage. She loudly said, "I know Darling Qiang is upset about me and your father. However, your father chose the best prince estate for you. This isn't just any prince estate. This prince is of the legitimate line. His age is suitable, and he is handsome and talented.  What are you so unsatisfied about?" 

"Mother is asking what I'm unsatisfied about?" Consort Wei said. "I've told you from the start that I would rather be the princ.i.p.al wife of a poor man than the concubine of a rich one. But you and father still put me in this situation. Because His Majesty wanted to give the prince a secondary consort born from a literary family, you quickly handed me over on a silver platter. I didn't know anything about it at all. I was sent to the prince estate just like that!" 

As soon as she heard those words, Mistress Wei's expression reddened completely. "Look at how you're pa.s.sing your days now! Swimming in wealth! Tens of people attend to you. And now, you're even with child. If it's a boy, you'll have someone to support you for the rest of your life. Although your father is a third-rank official, unfortunately he does not have much connections or support. Would there be any decent households that would propose to our household? I won't be able to accept letting you marry into a small family." 

Consort Wei's gaze fell upon her mother. Stayed there for a period. Then she said in a neutral tone, "It doesn't matter anymore. What you both cannot give me, I'll take with my own hands."

The banquet went on in a normal fashion. Once everything had been prepared, Qi Yunruo returned to Lakeside View House for his afternoon meal. The kitchens of the forecourt and inner courtyard were busily preparing for the event. He only asked for one dish to go with his rice. Afterward, he snacked on a plate of cured meat the kitchens had sent, smile so full of joy that his eyes resembled crescents. 　　

A while later, he turned to Lulan. "Is there any of Brother Ji's osmanthus wine left?" 

Following a moment of thought, Lulan said, "Yes. Should I bring young master a warm jar?"

"It's fine not to warm it. This type of wine tastes great even when chilled."

Shortly after, Lulan delivered a jar of osmanthus wine to Lakeside View House. Qi Yunruo drank as he ate the cured meat, finding the combination delicious. Osmanthus wine was unlikely to make one intoxicated. Each time he indulged in some, he would require a short nap.

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Puzzled by her master's happy expression, Lulan asked by his side, "What is causing young master so much joy?"

A smile blossomed on Qi Yunruo's lips. "Nothing much. I'm just happy to have accomplished this task. Whenever I think of it, I feel satisfied." 

"Young master is an open-minded person."

After he drank half the jar of wine and ate more than ten pieces of cured meat, his vision started to grow blurry. For this reason, when Li Chen appeared in front of Qi Yunruo, he did not recognize him.

Li Chen noticed the red on his cheeks, the piece of cured meat still held in Qi Yunruo's hand. He couldn't help but smile at the sight.　　

A moment later, Qi Yunruo finally realized Li Chen's presence. "Your Highness, why did your honored self come here?"

"To see you."

After three rounds of drinks at the forecourt's banquet, Li Chen rose to his feet and made for the inner court, in order to share a drink with his female guests. At Winter Plum Courtyard, apart from his princess consort and secondary consorts, there were only their birth mothers present. As such, the meeting wasn't taboo. Later, Li Chen made for Falling Cloud Courtyard to share a drink with the tertiary consorts and lower-ranked concubines. Then he slowly made his way back to the forecourt. 

He drank a lot of alcohol. His brothers had pressured him to keep drinking, and he also downed several drinks in the inner courtyard. The moisture from the lake cooled him down, and he followed the path of the water, one slow step at a time, until Lakeside View House came into view. From his time entertaining guests in the forecourt and inner courtyard, he had yet to catch a glimpse of Qi Yunruo. The moment Li Chen arrived at Lakeside View House, his heart suddenly tightened.  

Never had he thought Qi Yunruo would be drinking so merrily by himself.　　

For some inexplicable reason, he really wanted to know the reason for his smile. Wanted to smile with him.

Qi Yunruo indeed seemed very happy while drinking. His chopsticks had been set aside, and he was using his hands to eat the meat. Li Chen stood by his side. Reached out to pick up a piece of cured meat and placed it in his mouth. Qi Yunruo's eyes flashed bright as he stared at Li Chen, and the older male found the sight funny. The meat was a bit on the salty side, yet fragrant to a high degree. He took a sip of Qi Yunruo's wine and couldn't help but say, "Not bad at all."　　

"Isn't it? In the past, Brother Ji always paired delicious side dishes with this wine. But I think pairing it with salted meat is the best."

"Ji Huan has now entered the Imperial Academy," said Li Chen. 

"Brother Ji will definitely pa.s.s the Imperial Examinations next year."

Li Chen smiled. Then he drank another cup of osmanthus wine.

Shortly after, Lulan arrived. She said to Li Chen, "Your Highness, Eunuch Su Ge is looking for you in the forecourt."

Shocked, Li Chen finally recalled that it was his birthday today. He was the protagonist in the forecourt.

Qi Yunruo said, "Your honored self should hurry and leave."

With that, Li Chen rose to his feet and grunted in acknowledgement.

Qi Yunruo also stood. He swayed as he sent off Li Chen at the entrance. After a moment of thought, he said, "Your Highness, I wish your honored self a bright and boundless future, that every year would be blessed with good fortune."

Li Chen smiled and nodded. "I will take your blessings."

Once Li Chen returned to the forecourt, an ill-intentioned smile slid across Prince Qing's lips. "Second Brother, who enchanted you to stay at her side for so long?"　　

But Li Chen only smiled, shaking his head. "After you all made me drink so much, I had a hard time finding my way back."

"Second Brother has a high alcohol tolerance," said Prince Jing, smiling. "Today is supposed to be a joyous event. Even if one doesn't get drunk on alcohol, one would still feel drunk. Come, have another cup."

Li Chen smiled bitterly. He turned to Li Xu, his full-blooded brother, who was standing by his side. "Come, drink a cup for your Second Brother."

After the two shared a smile, Li Xu said, "Eldest Brother shouldn't bully Second Brother anymore. During your birthday celebration, we didn't push you to drink so much."

The group of younger princes were drinking fruit wine. It was hard to get drunk off of it. One side was full of loud chatter, and of the other relatives, Count Ziyang had the highest status. Then came the Minister of War and the Head of the Imperial Academy. Because of this, both Prince Jing and Prince Qing felt despondent when thinking about the status of their own in-laws.  

Once they had drank to the point of near intoxication, Prince Qing said, "With no plays or dancers hired, it's indeed a bit boring. How about we play the pitch-pot game³?" 　

"Without any music, it's indecent," said Li Chen. "Su Ge, bring my zither."

As Su Ge went to find the zither, Prince Qing's eyes darted left and right. Pretending to be angry, he said, "Second Brother surely is sly. While we gamble, you sit out to play the zither."

Li Chen laughed. "Today, my brother-in-laws from Count Ziyang's estate are present. The two are skilled in both the pen and sword and can take my place. Now that I'm this drunk, I'll be even more intoxicated if I keep drinking." 　　

Qi Yunshan and Qi Yunying did not dare to compete with the princes. However, when it came to playing games, no matter how easy they went on Prince Jing and Prince Qing, their skill was still higher. The more Prince Qing lost, the more he wanted to play. He downed one cup after the other. On the other hand, Prince Jing was already at the point where he couldn't endure it anymore.

Li Chen sat at the side as he played Liushang⁴. After two songs, everyone at the table was almost drunk to oblivion. 

Come noon, the younger princes returned to the imperial palace. Prince Jing and Prince Qing were sent to their own estates. Fatigued, Li Chen started a conversation with Count Ziyang. 

Count Ziyang said, "That second son of mine had a pleasant time. Ah, he's not sensible at all."

"If it weren't for my brother-in-laws' help, I would have had a hard time today."

Count Ziyang wasn't actually complaining about his second son. His second son was strapping, hitting 100 marks out of 100. He felt proud of Qi Yunying. 

"The princess consort's side has withheld from liquor," said Li Chen. "Perhaps they have already finished and packed up. However, the princess consort has not seen her mother for a long time. Father-in-law should give them some more time to chat."

Count Ziyang smiled. "Then this official will bother your honored self by staying longer."　　

At noon, Qi Yunruo finally woke from his nap and went to the forecourt to help with organizing the birthday gifts. He separated them by category. Some of them needed to be sent to Qi Niqun's storeroom in the inner courtyard. Currently, Qi Yunruo was following Su Ge's a.s.sistant, Eunuch Fengyuan. Fengyuan recorded the items as he said, "Every year, the number of gifts received increases." 

Eyes flashing with curiosity, Qi Yunruo asked, "Why is this so?"

Fengyuan sent him a sideways glance. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."

Qi Yunruo wasn't upset by what he had said. Fengyuan's words were a bit acrimonious, but he was nimble with his work. Furthermore, he was not mean to others. The moment Qi Yunruo laid eyes on the list of birthday gifts sent from Count Ziyang's estate, his jaw dropped.

Seeing his expression, Fengyuan approached him. "In your opinion, how much money does Count Ziyang's estate have? The princess consort had 128 crates of dowry. The second miss had 80 crates. Although the two young masters have yet to marry, they still sent so many gifts for His Highness' birthday celebration." He clicked his tongue. "Really lavish."

Not a word left Qi Yunruo's lips.

Fengyuan smiled. "A few days ago I heard that a servant in Count Ziyang's estate brought some trouble. He was the son of a female steward, and she begged the count to let her son go. She then became a merchant. In the end, she lost in profit. The person she lost money to had been deceitful. They said they were running errands for the count estate and tricked her out of a lot of money before dashing off."

Qi Yunruo did not know about the circ.u.mstances at Count Ziyang's estate. He also did not know the ident.i.ty of the female steward for he did not pay attention to such things.

"…Count Ziyang's household is one of the few n.o.ble families still remaining from the start of the dynasty. It hasn't dropped in n.o.ble rank yet," Fengyuan said, lamenting.

Qi Yunruo said, "In the the past, they held an army. That family has lost many people to the battlefield across many generations."

"This generation will have it hard," said Fengyuan.

To those words, Qi Yunruo did not express an opinion. He went to move some items, and after a while, everything was organized. Then Fengyuan told him to take a break. "If Eunuch Su Ge saw me working you to death, wouldn't he beat me up?"

Qi Yunruo broke into a smile. "Eunuch Su Ge has a good temper."

"He isn't like that to us."

Rubbing his hands, Qi Yunruo left the storeroom. When he was about to pa.s.s by Ink Lotus Courtyard, he caught sight of Qi Yunshan not too far away.

Qi Yunshan was trying to sober up outside. The moment he saw Qi Yunruo, he stood there shocked.

The siblings shared a look in silence. A beat later, Qi Yunruo tried to pa.s.s by him, continuing on his own path.

But Qi Yunshan moved to block his way. "What are you doing?"

Not wanting to speak, Qi Yunruo took a few steps to the side, before trying to leave again.

This time, Qi Yunshan did not move to obstruct his path.

Meanwhile, because Qi Yunying wasn't as good as other people in holding his liquor, he did not see clearly who stood before him. Not only that, but Qi Yunruo had lowered his head as his pace quickened.

Which resulted in Qi Yunruo b.u.mping into his large and tall second brother, falling to the ground without a word.

Phew. This was a monster of a chapter.

I find it so cute that no matter what, Li Chen's legs would always bring him back to Little Qi.

I finally have a stockpile of chapters for once, and let me tell you, Chapter 18 is retribution for someone… You'll understand once we get there.

Next regular chapter: October 5, 2019 at 12 pm EST.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a like or a comment below, or on NU ?

Secretary: (大学士) It's a high-ranking official t.i.tle in ancient China. The closest word that describes the duties of the job is secretary Juren: (举人) People who pa.s.sed the City Examinations were called Juren. It's almost a.n.a.logous to a Master's degree in modern society. The City Examinations is one level under the Imperial Examinations. pitch-pot game: (投壶) A game at drinking parties where people threw arrows in a pot and bet on who would win.　 Liushang: (流觞) This could be the name of the zither. This word is also part of the t.i.tle, so this makes everything more confusing.